WORKERS DISRUPT COURT SITTING, CHASE AWAY LAWYERS JUDGES IN NASARAWA

Nasarawa State Chapter of the Judicial Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), on Thursday disrupted court sittings and chased out litigants and lawyers who appeared in courts in Akwanga Local Government Area of the state.

NAN reports that the courts shut down by the unionists include: the High Court, Upper Area Court, Chief Magistrates’ Court, Grade I Area court, all in Akwanga Local Government Area of the State.

Speaking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Mr Solomon Iyigulu, the state Public Relation Officer (PRO) of the union, expressed the union’s dissatisfaction over the state government’s inability to meet their demands.

Iyigulu said that the union was in Akwanga to ensure total compliance of the strike which began on Nov. 13, 2018 as well as to ensure that no activity take place in courts not only in Akwanga but the entire state.

“I call on our members to continue to remain resolute, remain at home and be law abiding until they hear further directive from us, ” he added.

NAN also reports that some state government and private lawyers and litigants who came for their cases expressed disappointment as courts remained locked by the JUSUN.

Some of the JUSUN officials, who carried leaves, shouted slogans like: “pay us our salary and meet our demands if not”, ”we will continue to disrupt courts proceedings across the state”.

NAN reports that the demands, according to JUSUN, include: lifting of the embargo on staff conversion and advancement, lifting of embargo on staff in service training, stoppage of deductions on staff of High Court salary and refund of same and implementation of the financial implication promotion and annual increment.

Recall that on Nov. 13, 2018, the state JUSUN commenced an indefinite strike following the failure of state’s Chief Judge to meet their demands on welfare issues.

JUSUN also rejected in total the scraping of the Customary Court of Appeal in the state.

Other issues are that the National Judicial Commission (NJC) have given three slots for the appointment of judges into the Customary Court in 2018, but nothing was done to reopen the court up till now.